09/04/2026
Your low back might be doing more work than it should.
When your thoracic spine or shoulders don’t move well, your body still has to find a way to accomplish the task you’re asking it to do.
And sometimes, that means asking the low back to pick up the slack.
Think about reaching overhead, rotating, or extending your spine. These movements require coordination between your shoulders, thoracic spine, ribs, and pelvis. If the upper part of that system is limited, the lumbar spine may compensate by moving more than it should.
That doesn’t mean your low back is “the problem.” It may simply be the part of the system that’s doing more work to create the movement you need.
This is one reason we don’t always treat pain by focusing only on the painful area.
Your PT may look at your shoulder mobility, thoracic rotation, rib movement, hip mobility, and even how you breathe to understand the bigger picture.